Multiple needle automatic quilting machine



N. SHOTSKY July 21, 1959 Filed March 31, 1955 2 sheets sha'et a FIG. I;

FYIG.

IN V EN TOR. A6260); JfiaZJ/ZV y SAM- W h ATTORNEYS 0 1 2 a. w Kw M m P 4 .M 4 M 2 Au 4 H) W s u I 7 W 8 m. u 1 4 e ll. (1m 2 n: 12L m 2 0 ,6 a C 2 1 AMA w (J M G o m m n V k Y W K C S I T T 0 Wm H m M, N A 9 k! E 0 I6 e ,6 W F. a. E L P N N m (My 9 6 w m l I 1 h F B m 1 2 m .l m u W J m ATTORNEYS United States Patent MULTIPLE NEEDLE AUTOMATIC QUILTING MACHINE Nathan Shotsky, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor of one-fourth to Hersch Zauderer, one-fourth to Benjamin Zauderer, and one-fourth to David H. Turkel, all 01 Brooklyn, N-Y.

Application March 31, 1955, Serial No. 498,366

7 Claims. (Cl. 112-164) This invention relates generally to a multiple needle automatic quilting machine.

In heretofore used multiple needle automatic quilting machines the spacing of the lines of stitching corresponds to the spacing of the needles and the minimum needle spacing obtainable is limited to a dimension corresponding to the size of the shuttles. It will thus be seen that pursuant to the heretofore used practice the minimum spacing of the lines of stitching is inherently limited by the shuttle size wherefore there is imposed an inherent limitation on the patterns produceable and the maximum number of stitch lines provided for a given dimension, and it is accordingly the primary aim and object of the present invention to provide a multiple needle automatic quilting machine in which the minimum spacing of the lines of stitching may be substantially less than in heretofore used apparatus of this character whereby to obviate the inherent limitations aforenoted in regard to such heretofore used apparatus.

It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the aforenoted character in which for a given shuttle size, a substantially closer needle spacing arrangement may be utilized whereby to provide for a greater number of stitch lines for a given dimension.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus of the above character in which the basic components of conventional multiple needle automatic quilting machines are utilized whereby the latter may be readily and economically converted to apparatus of the present invention.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will he more fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode now contemplated by me for carrying out my invention:

Fig. ,l is a schematic view of a multiple needle automatic quilting machine embodying the present invention and illustrates the path of travel of fabric from the supply roll to the processed fabric roll;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. is a rear elevational view of the shuttle driving yoke, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a different position of the parts of the shuttle driving mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the pressure plate, reciprocable bars, and the drive for the reciprocable bars with the latter shown in their left extreme position;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of Fig. 5 with the shuttle shown in a different position;

Fig. 7 is a sectional View, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 77 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the pressure plate illustrating the operation of securing a superposed thread to, the surface of traveling fabric;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 illustrating a different position of the shuttles;

2,895,438 Patented July 21, 1959 10 is a view similar to Fig. 7 illustrating the operation of securing a superposed thread to the surface of traveling fabric;

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view of the multiple needle arrangement and the shuttle mechanism therefor;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of a fabricsegment having a quilted pattern; and

Fig. 13 is a plan view of a fabric segment having superposed threads thereon in a straight pattern.

With reference to the drawings in detail, the multiple needle automatic quilting machine 10 is generally of the type disclosed in my Patent No. 2,687,703 issued August 31, 1954 for Apparatus in a Multiple Needle Automatic Quilting Machine, said machine 10 comprising a fabric rest plate 12, a pressure plate 14, banks of reciprocable needles 16, a fabric supply roll 18, a processed fabric roll 20, feed rollers 22, motor drive and transmission mechanism 24, and a guiding apron 26. With reference to Fig. 1, there is shown a schematic illustration of the path of travel of the fabric 11 from the supply roll 18 to the processed fabric roll 20. The traveling fabric 11 from roll 18 passes on to the guiding apron 26 from which it is fed between the fabric rest plate 12 and the pressure plate 14 by means of the feed rollers 22. Said feed rollers are driven intermittently at a constant speed from the main drive shaft 28 and from the feed rollers the fabric is wound up on the processed fabric roll 20. As described in detail in my above referred-to patent, the fabric rest plate 12 is fixed to, and reciprocates with, the reciprocating carriage (not shown) of the apparatus and the pressure plate 14 is mounted on the automatic quilting machine 10 independently of the carriage. The banks of needles 16 are adapted to bond or sew together a plurality of layers of cloth or other textile material in any preselected pattern and by the utilization of an attachment of the character fully illustrated and described in my above mentioned patent a superposed. thread may be secured to the surface of traveling fabric in any preselected decorative pattern.

Pursuant to the present invention, the banks of needles 16 comprise a plurality of spaced needles 30 and 30 mounted in front and rear rows 32 and 34, respectively, with any predetermined number of needles in each row, it being understood that any desired number of needles may be provided in the rows depending upon the decora' tive pattern selected. The needles 30' and 30" of the rows of needles 32 and 34, respectively, are disposed in staggered relation whereby companion pairs of adjacent needles 30 and 30" are angularly aligned along lines 30 disposed obliquely of the needle rows (Figs. 5 and 11). Accordingly, as schematically illustrated in Fig. 11, companion pairs of adjacent needles 30' and 30" of the front and rear rows 32 and 34, respectively, are angularly aligned along a series of spaced parallel lines 30 which are disposed obliquely of the rows and of the straight pattern stitch lines 36 formed by said needles, it being noted that in the illustrated embodiment the needles of each of said rows are uniformly spaced and aligned. While it is within the scope of the present invention to stagger the needles of the rows of needles 32 and 34 to any desired degree, in the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention the needles 30' and 30 of the rows of needles are staggered so that the needles of one row are disposed equidistant between the needles of the other row whereby the stitch lines 36 produced by said needles will be uniformly spaced. The needles 30' and 30" are adapted to reciprocate vertically in a fixed path to lock stitch the fabric assembly 11 which comprises fabric layers 40 and 42 having filler material 44 disposed therebetween. Both rows 32 and 34 of needles are secured to the needle bracket 46 in any conventional manner whereby all of the needles reciprocate in unison,

lines 30) in the raceway support 52. The raceway support 52 is carried by the laterally spaced members 54 and 56 which are suitably secured to the frame of the apparatus in stationary relation therewith in any suitable mannen Thus the series of raceways 50 are aligned and spaced corresponding to the alignment and spacing of their companion pairs of needles 30' and 30". Operatively associated with the companion pairs of needles and reciprocable along angular paths defined by the race- 'ways 50, are a series of shuttle carriers 58 which are axially reciprocable in said raceways in unison and in timed relation with the reciprocation of needles 30' and 30". The shuttle carriers 58 per se are conventional in all respects and have secured thereto pairs of shuttle supports 60 which are disposed in tandem relation, said shuttle supports being adapted to mount companion shuttles 62' and 62" for reciprocation in the raceways 50 in timed relation with their companion needles. From the above it will be apparent that the shuttles 62 and 62" are disposed in tandem relation in the raceways 50 for reciprocation along angular paths corresponding to the alignment of the companion pairs of needles 30' and 30", it being understood that each shuttle is operatively associated with a companion needle in the well known manner. Thus 'the front shuttles 62 are operatively associated with the front row 32 of needles whereas the rear shuttles 62" are operatively associated with the rear row 34 of needles.

In'order to reciprocate the shuttle carriers 58 in unison in their companion raceways 50 for concomitantly reciprocating the' shuttles carried thereby, there is provided an actuating member 64 to which one end of each of the shuttle carriers 58 is secured as indicated at 66, said actuating member being movable towards and away from the support 54 by the shuttle drive mechanism to be described.

With reference to Fig. 1, one end of the link 68 is eccentrically mounted on the main drive shaft 28 as indicated at 70 and the opposite end of said link is pivotally interconnected with the crank arm 74 as indicated at 72. The crank arm 74 is fixedly mounted on the auxiliary drive shaft 76 in any suitable manner as by means of the pin 78 and said drive shaft is supported for oscillatory movement imparted thereto by the link 68 in any suitable manner. Fixedly mounted to an intermediate part of the shaft 76 is a yoke 80, the latter being fixed to said shaft by means of a suitable pin 82 and accordingly oscillatory with said shaft. Transversely extending between the spaced arms 84 and 86 of the yoke 80 is a shaft 88 which mounts the fitting 90 for slidable movement along the said shaft, said fitting being carried at one end of the link 92. Disposed at the opposite end of link 92 is a universal fitting 94 which is mounted for slidable movement along the shaft 96, the latter being carried between the spaced arms 98 and 100 of the bracket 102. The bracket 102 may be fixedly secured to the series of interconnected shuttle carriers 58 in any suitable manner whereby the movement imparted to said bracket will in turn be imparted to the series of shuttle carriers. In the illustrated embodiment, the bracket 162 is suitably affixed to one of the carriers 58, it being understood that said carriers are interconnected by means of the actuating member 64 whereby the carriers 58 and the shuttles 62' and 62" carried thereby will be axially reciprocated in unison along angular paths defined by the raceways 50. As aforenoted, the fitting 90 is mounted for slidable movement along the shaft 88 and the fitting 94 is universally mounted for sliding movement along its companion shaft 96, it being apparent that the oscillation of the drive shaft 76 by means of the linkage 68, 74 will be effective to oscillate the yoke and the link 92 to thereby reciprocate the carriers 58 in their companion raceways St). The main drive shaft 28 may be driven in any suitable manner and in the illustrated embodiment said drive shaft is operatively connected to the motor by a suitable chain drive 112.

With reference to Fig. 7, there is shown the method of lock stitching the fabric assembly 11 pursuant to the present invention. The needle 30' hearing the front thread 114 of the lock stitch penetrates the fabric assembly to form a loop from said thread at which time the shuttle 62 operatively associated therewith and bearing the rear thread 116 of the lock stitch passes through the loop of thread 114, it being noted that the shuttle thread extends through its companion opening 117 provided in the plate 12. On the retraction of needle 3th the loop formed by the thread 114 is closed, thereby forming the lock stitch. It will be understood that the lock stitch described above without relation to the disposition of the needles and the shuttle mechanism described above operates on the conventional lock stitch sewing machine principle which is used in conventional multiple needle automatic quilting machines. From the above it will be apparent that the shuttle mechanism described above is operatively associated with the companion pairs of needles in timed relation to the vertical reciprocation of said needles in a fixed path.

In order to allow the traveling fabric assembly 11 to intermittently pass between the rest plate 12 and the pressure plate 14, the latter is adapted to reciprocate intermittently relative to the plate 12, in a vertical path. The reciprocation of the pressure plate 14 is eifected by means of the shaft 120 fixed to said plate, transverse member 122 fixed to shaft 120, and follower 124 mounted on member 122, said follower riding on cam 126 which is integral with the shaft 128. It will be apparent that on the rotation of the shaft 128, which may be operatively connected to the main drive shaft in any suitable manner, the cam 126 Will intermittently reciprocate shaft 120 to which is secured the pressure plate 14. The fabric assembly 11 may -be formed of any suitable material and may be lock stitched in the manner aforedescribed in either a straight pattern as will be understood from Fig. 5 or in any preselected decorative pattern such as a quilted pattern as exemplified by the fabric segment 129 shown in Fig. 12 as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The pressure plate 14 of the illustrated embodiment may be utilized to secure a superposed thread 130 (Fig. 13) to the surface of the traveling fabric 132 in the manner described in detail in the above referred to patent. The pressure plate 14 is longitudinally slotted as indicated at 134 and the bars 136 are adapted to mate with the slots 134 and are adapted for slidable reciprocation therein. The pressure plate 14 has a plurality of cut-out portions 138 which are spaced in staggered rows corresponding to the spacing of the needles 30 and 30" described above in detail. Bridging the bars 136 is a transverse connector member 140 which is fixed to said bars and which is adapted to synchronously reciprocate said bars relative to the pressure plate. In order to efifect the reciprocation of the connector member 140 to thereby effect the reciprocation of the bars 136, there is provided a rotating cam 142 fixed to shaft 143 which is driven from the main drive shaft 28 by means of the chain drive 144 and gear 146. Rigidly secured to the connector member 140 is a cam follower 148 which is adapted to ride in the slot 150 of the rotating cam 142 to impart to the bars 136 an intermittent reciprocating motion. There is provided in the plate '14 a plurality of during their reciprocation. The bars 136 are provided with a series of formations 154 which constitute thread guides for the superposed threads 130, said formations being apertured as indicated at 155 for the extension therethrough of said superposed threads, it being understood that said thread guides are disposed in operative relationship to the cut-out areas 138 and the vertically reciprocable needles and 34?". Thus the superposed thread guides 1541 are adapted to provide for the proper positioning and guiding of the superposed threads 130 relative to. the surface of the traveling fabric 132 in the manner described in detail in my previously referred to patent. Accordingly, the superposed thread guides 154 are adapted to. reciprocate across the fixed needle path sequentially whereby on one downstroke of the needles the latter enter the traveling fabric to stitch the superposed threads 130, with the thread guides 154 positioned adjacent to and at one side of said needles, and on the next down stroke of said needles the latter again enter the fabric to stitch the superposed threads, with the thread guides positioned adjacent to and at the other side of said needles, to thereby complete a cycle. The superposed threads 130 are lock stitched to the fabric 132 by the needles 30' and 30" and their associated shuttles 62 and 6 respectively, which operate in timed relation with the needles. By way of example, the shuttles and their shuttle threads 116' are reciprocable along angular paths corresponding to the raceways between the position shown in Fig. 8 and that shown in Fig. 9. See also Fig. 10. From the above it will be apparent that the aforedescribed apparatus may be utilized to lock stitch any desired fabric having one or more fabric layers in any desired preselected decorative pattern and similarly the apparatus may be utilized to lock stitch superposed threads to a surface of traveling fabric in any desired preselected decorative pattern. A fabric may be shirred by the utilization of the above described apparatus by securing a superposed elastic thread under tension to the surface of traveling fabric in the desired decorative pattern. Continuous straight line stitching is accomplished by locking the carriage (not shown) against reciprocation, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

It will be evident from the above that for a given size shuttle 62' or 62 or a given width of raceway 50 to accommodate such shuttle, a substantially closer needle spacing arrangement may be utilized than was heretofore possible whereby to provide for a greater number of stitch lines 36 on the fabric for a given dimension. In the arrangement illustrated and described, assuming that the needles of each of the rows are spaced as close together as the shuttle size permits, it will be apparent that twice as many stitch lines 36 may be produced than were heretofore obtainable with the utilization of the previously used apparatus of this character having non-staggered rows of needles and correspondingly disposed shuttles.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a multiple needle automatic quilting machine, in combination, a pair of laterally spaced substantially parallel rows of vertically reciprocable needles each operable in a fixed path and adapted to penetrate and stitch a fabric operatively disposed relative thereto; the needles of one of said rows being disposed in staggered relation with respect to the needles of the other of said rows; the needles which extend along parallel oblique planes with respect to the line of feed of the machine constituting companion pairs of needles; and pairs of shuttles operatively associated with said companion pairs of needles and reciprocable along angular paths corresponding to the, disposition of said companion pairs of needles.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein the stag gering of said needles is such that needles of one row are each equidistant from two needles of the adjacent row, so that the lines of stitching of the needles are equidistant from each other.

3. In a multiple needle automatic quilting machine, in combination, a pair of laterally spaced substantially parallel rows of vertically reciprocable needles each operable in a fixed path and adapted to penetrate and stitch a fabric operatively disposed relative thereto; the needles of one of said rows being disposed in staggered relation with respect to the needles of the other of said rows; the needles which extend along parallel oblique planes With respect to the line of feed of the machine constituting companion pairs of needles; pairs of shuttles operatively associated with said companion pairs of needles and reciprocable along angular paths corresponding to the disposition of said companion pairs of needles; a raceway for each pair of shuttles; a shuttle carrier axially reciprocable in each raceway in timed relation with said needles, said carrier having shuttle supports for mounting the shuttles in tandem relation; and means for axially reciprocating said shuttle carriers in said raceways; said staggered rows of needles being adapted to provide a plurality of lines of stitching in said fabric which are closer together than the spacing of the needles of each i of said rows of needles.

4. In a multiple needle automatic quilting machine, mechanism for lock stitching layers of fabric in a preselected decorative pattern, said mechanism comprising a fabric rest plate, a pressure plate intermittently reciprocable relative to said rest plate in a vertical path to allow said fabric layers to travel therebetween, a pair of laterally spaced substantially parallel rows of stitching needles vertically reciprocable in fixed paths and adapted to stitch said fabric layers in said pattern, the needles of one of said rows of needles being disposed in staggered relation with respect to the needles of the other of said rows; the needles which extend along parallel oblique planes with respect to the line of feed of the machine constituting companion pairs of needles; shuttle means operatively associated with each companion pair of needles and reciprocable along angular paths corresponding to the disposition of said companion pair of needles, and means for reciprocating said shuttle means in unison along said angular paths in timed relation to the reciprocation of said rows of needles, a raceway defining each of said angular paths, said shuttle means comprising a pair of shuttles, a shuttle carrier axially reciprocable in said raceway in timed relation with the reciprocation of said needles, said carrier having shuttle supports for mounting the pair of shuttles associated with a companion pair of needles in longitudinally spaced and aligned relation for reciprocation in said raceway, said staggered rows of needles being adapted to provide a plurality of lines of stitching in said fabric layers which are spaced closer together than the spacing of the needles of each of said rows of needles.

5. In a multiple needle automatic quilting machine, mechanism for securing superposed threads to the surface of traveling fabric in a decorative pattern, said mechanism comprising a fabric rest plate, a longitudinally slotted pressure plate intermittently reciprocable relative to said rest plate in a vertical path to allow said fabric to travel therebetween, a plurality of bars adapted to mate with said slots in said plate and adapted to axially reciprocate therein, said bars having means adapted to guide said superposed threads relative to the surface of said traveling fabric for securement thereto, a pair of laterally spaced substantially parallel rows of stitching needles vertically reciprocable in fixed paths and adapted to stitch said superposed threads to the surface of said .fabric in said pattern, the needles of one of said rows of needles being disposed in staggered relation with respect to the needles of the other of said rows; the needles which extend along parallel oblique planes with respect to the line of feed of the machine constituting companion pairs of needles; shuttle means including a pair of shuttles operatively associated with each companion pair of needles and reciprocable along angular paths corresponding to the disposition of said companion pairs of needles, and means for reciprocating said shuttle means in unison along said angular paths in timed relation to the reciprocation of said rows of needles.

6. In a multiple needle automatic quilting machine, mechanism for securing superposed threads to the surface of traveling fabric in a decorative pattern, said mechanism comprising a fabric rest plate, a longitudinally slotted pressure plate intermittently reciprocable relative to said rest plate in a vertical path to alloW said fabric to travel therebetween, a plurality of bars adapted to mate with said slots in said plate and adapted to axially reciprocate therein, said bars having means adapted to guide said superposed threads relative to the surface of said traveling fabric for securement'thereto, a pair of laterally spaced substantially parallel rows of stitching needles vertically reciprocable in fixed paths and adapted to stitch said superposed threads to the surface of said fabric in said pattern, the needles of one of said rows of needles being disposed in staggered relation with respect to the needles of the other of said rows; the needles which extend along parallel oblique planes with respect to the line of feed of'the machine constituting companion pairs of needles; shuttle means operatively associated with each companion pair of needles and reciprocable along angular paths corresponding to the disposition of said companion pairs of needles, and means for reciprocating said shuttle means in unison along said angular paths in timed relation to the reciprocation of said rows of needles, a race Way defining each of said angular paths, said shuttle means comprising a pair of shuttles, a shuttle carrier axially reciprocable in said raceway in timed relation with the reciprocation of said needles, said carrier having 8 shuttle supports for mounting the pair of shuttles associated with a companion pair of needles in longitudinally spaced and aligned relation for reciprocation in said raceway, said staggered rows of needles being adapted to provide a plurality of lines of stitching in said fabric which are spaced closer together than the spacing of the needles of each of said rows of needles.

7. In a multi-needle shuttle sewing machine of the type adapted to effect spaced parallel stitch lines on a Web when the web is fed in a straight line through the machine, a plurality of rows of spaced parallel needles arranged to reciprocate together identically along their length; the needles of any row being in staggered relation with those of the row next to it; said needles being arranged in sets in spaced parallel planes respectively across said rows; said planes being in oblique relation with the line of feed of the web through the machine; the needles of each set affecting immediately adjacent stitch lines and all needles effecting different stitch lines respectively, shuttles of the type which slidably reciprocate past the needles, one shuttle cooperating with each of the needles respectively; the shuttles associated with each set of needles, being positioned along the plane of such set of needles respectively and a carriage arranged for reciprocating slidable movement along a line parallel to said planes; the shuttles being mounted on said carriage for movement therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 456,740 Schultz July 28, 1891 566,538 Rossiter Aug. 25, 1896 1,275,603 Rives Aug. 13, 1918 1,640,201 Maier Aug. 23, 1927 1,802,869 Boettcher Apr. 28, 1931 2,010,574 Weis Aug. 6, 1935 2,165,469 Fellegi July 11, 1939 2,687,703 Shotsky Aug. 31, 1954 

